This summer, the divisive partisan politics in Washington reached an all-time high. We’ve seen our government truly break down, unable to perform even the most fundamental of its duties.

Citing the inability of Congress to compromise, S&P has downgraded our credit rating for the first time in our nation’s history. As S&P put it: “The political brinksmanship of recent months highlights what we see as America’s governance and policy-making becoming less stable, less effective, and less predictable than what we previously believed.”

We are seeing the real effects of gridlock. Financial markets are in a tailspin and the downgrade will likely make it more expensive for ordinary citizens and American businesses to borrow. Thanks to Washington’s hyper-partisanship, we are facing the possibility of a double-dip recession.

Yet even in the face of this gridlock, No Labels has made real progress. In July, we convinced Congress to stay in session until a deal on the debt ceiling was reached. But we know this was just a start.

With Congress in recess, now is the time to step back and reflect on what we can do to change the national dialogue. True reform of our political system comes from the ground up, from a movement of millions united by a vision for a government that works.

While your elected officials are at home, attend their town hall meetings and encourage them to use the No Labels approach to legislating that putseverything on the table, especially as the newly formed “Super” Committee gets to work on a plan for $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction measures.

Call the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be connected with your lawmaker’s office to ask about their town hall meeting schedule for August.

Attending a town hall meeting is an opportunity to express your frustration directly to your elected official. But it is also an opportunity to remind your lawmakers that they can succeed by putting their labels aside and working together.